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His critics — of which there are still so many — will say in unison: No chance!

His supporters? Sure, it’s possible, just give it time.

His peers in front of him, namely the Big Four? They were saying all the right things in front of the cameras at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last week, but the truth is, with their status safely engraved at the top, they probably care more about what they’re going to eat for dinner than the pending success of some kid from Canada.

“I feel like I don’t really have to prove anything to anybody,” 17-time Grand Slam champion and Rogers Cup finalist Roger Federer said in his pre-tournament press conference, serving up a swift reminder of what life is like at the top.

Earlier, Federer, who spent 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 — 302 overall — was asked about the Canadian’s potential to become a Grand Slam winner.

“I don’t remember when I saw him the first time, but I have played him for a few years now and seen him around, so he’s really made sort of his move now in the rankings,” the world No. 3 said.

Ho-hum. Federer, of course, has never lost to Raonic, most recently spanking the Thornhill native in the Wimbledon semis last month. The Swiss great continues to sleep well.

But will there ever come a time when the storyline is reversed, when the world’s best should begin to care, when Raonic and others like him finally start breaking through against the top guys?

And is Raonic going to be one of the guys to do it, or is he simply too one-dimensional — big serve, but nothing else — to crack Federer, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, world No. 2 Rafael Nadal and world No. 9 Andy Murray?

Let’s go with yes, no and maybe.

Raonic, who on Monday saw his ranking slip to No. 7 from the career-high sixth spot he held prior to his quarterfinal exit at the Rogers Cup, has had fits against the Big Four.

Outside of beating Murray three times in four meetings, Raonic has exactly zero wins against Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. He has won one set against each of them.

But the highest-ranked Canadian player in history has sharpened his game over the past year, reaching the quarterfinal round in nine of 12 events heading into Cincinnati this week.

Raonic’s biggest weapon, however, is not his serve, but rather his youth. At age 23, he is entering his prime, while the best days are likely behind Federer, 33, and Nadal, 28. The 27-year-old Murray has two major titles to his name, but back problems and some inconsistencies in his game have led to his star fading.

Raonic, for the record, doesn’t mind that people rip his service-only style.

“Do I mind? Not at all. I think even when I face off against opponents, it’s something that gives them discomfort, and if that’s how people see it, I’m fine with that,” he said.

If and when the Big Four ever do sail off into the sunset, Raonic won’t just stroll into top spot. Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov is a bit younger than Raonic at 23 and is the youngest player currently inside the top 10, while 19-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios recently beat Nadal, at the time ranked No. 1, at Wimbledon to become the first teenager to beat a No. 1 at a Grand Slam and ignite a firestorm of Next Great Thing chatter.

It won’t be easy for any of them, and the young guns know it.

“It’s a long road. Throughout all the years, I think tennis has changed so much in a way that it’s very hard for sort of the younger generation, as everyone has been calling us, to get out there and win majors and consecutive big tour titles,” Dimitrov said this week.

But being at the top is only half the battle.

“It’s one thing getting there, but staying there is challenging,” Murray said. “With the way that, you know, tennis works, with the ranking system and stuff, if you miss periods of the year, it’s incredibly difficult to maintain your ranking.”

Raonic said he must find more courage in his game in the wake of his quarterfinal loss to Feliciano Lopez in Toronto.

What might serve his detractors well is to find more patience.

Father Time is on Raonic’s side, so let’s just wait and see.

Nobody knows what he might accomplish in time.

POSPISIL WILL BE OK: RAONIC

Canadian Vasek Pospisil came into his home-country tournament on a high, having just reached his first ATP World Tour final, an all-Canadian showdown won by Milos Raonic in Washington.

That result boosted Pospisil all the way up to 27th in the world, but he couldn’t sustain it on home turf last week, losing his opening match at the Rogers Cup in straight sets to Richard Gasquet of France and suffering an adductor injury in the process.

Pospisil, who won a doubles title alongside American Jack Sock at Wimbledon last month and another title with Sock in Atlanta the following week, saw his ranking plummet to 46th on Monday.

Despite his early exit in Toronto, Raonic said his Davis Cup teammate has taken some great strides this year after being felled by back problems earlier in the season.

“Every month ... you see he’s getting better. There is always that constant improvement,” Raonic said of Pospisil. “Obviously it was hard for him the last few months with injury, but I think it showed a great value for him, the doubles win at Wimbledon, and gave him, maybe, a perspective and confidence to really be able to be playing this well that quickly.”